Nepal pro-monarchy movement leader under house arrest

Police rounded up people from streets as permission was refused for a rallyu to be held in Tinkune on Friday.

In a message sent from his home, Prasai said the administration cut his electricity connection and that neither he nor his supporters would budge an inch. Police surrounded most hotels, lodges or guest houses where activists stayed, refusing them permission to go out. “We will not leave Kathmandu and will give up our life if necessary to achieve our goal,” they said collectively.

A habeus corpus was filed in the Supreme Court seeking Prasai’s release and ensuring him full liberty as stated in the constitution. Senior advocate Surendra Bhandari said the issue might come up when the Supreme Court meets Sunday.

A senior home ministry official told The Indian Express that Prasai was neither arrested nor put under house arrest but was simply being given “government protection”.

The government has however been criticised by all sides for its authoritarian behaviour.

Rajendra Lingden, former deputy prime minister and chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party condemned the government for putting Prasai under arrest. Until now, Lingden had been opposed to Prasai and his method of protesting.

Prasai’s followers, who have come to Kathmandu in the thousands, consist mainly of women and rural inhabitants. “We want the monarchy to be restored, a waver on loans from financial institutions of less than two million rupees. We have come here woth a do or die vow,” Mitthu Pariyar from Gorkha district said.

On Thursday, the government had resorted to water canons and tear gas shells to control crowds of protestors but it changed its tactic on Friday. Prasai who had been less critical of Prime Minister Prachanda and more vocal against main opposition leader K P Oli however, focussed his ire on Prachanda.

“Today he has put me under arrest, may be the day that we arrest him and put him behind bars is not too far,” Prasai said.